FactorioFactorio Server Hosting Cost: What You Pay and What It Can't Fix
A Factorio server costs from 4.99 USD a month. Plan sizes for vanilla, Space Age and megabases, why a bigger server will not fix low UPS, and the free options.
Updated Oct 7, 2026 · 5 min read
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A Factorio server is cheap to host: 2 GB (4.99 USD a month) runs vanilla co-op with a few friends, 4 GB (9.99 USD) covers Space Age or a growing factory for up to 16 players, and 8 GB (19.99 USD) suits megabases, big overhaul mods or a public server. One thing money cannot buy: Factorio runs in lockstep, so every player's PC simulates the whole factory too. If your megabase drops below 60 UPS on players' machines, a bigger server plan will not fix it. Buy the size your save needs, not the biggest one.
Here is how to size a Factorio server, what a typical run costs, and the free ways to play.
Monthly cost by factory
| Your factory | Plan | Monthly price |
|---|---|---|
| Vanilla co-op with a few friends | 2 GB | 4.99 USD |
| Space Age or a growing factory, up to 16 players | 4 GB | 9.99 USD |
| Megabase, big overhaul mods or a public server | 8 GB | 19.99 USD |
New customers get 50% off the first month, so a vanilla run starts at about 2.50 USD.
Why a bigger plan does not always help
Most game servers are the only machine that simulates the world. Factorio is different. It uses a deterministic lockstep model: the server and every client run the exact same simulation, tick by tick, and only player inputs travel over the network. That has two money consequences:
- The slowest PC sets the speed. If one player's computer cannot keep up with a huge factory, the game slows or that player falls behind and gets dropped. A faster server does not help their PC.
- Network traffic stays small. Because only inputs are sent, Factorio servers use little bandwidth even with big factories.
What the server's plan does affect: holding the save in memory, saving it (autosaves pause the game while they write), and keeping up as the reference copy. Bigger saves and mods need more memory and a fast core for smooth autosaves. Our Factorio server requirements guide has the details.
Space Age and memory
Space Age adds planets, space platforms and many new items. A save with several planets running is heavier than a vanilla one, which is why 4 GB is the comfortable size for Space Age groups. Big overhaul mods add even more: plan 8 GB for those. See Factorio Space Age multiplayer servers for setup.
What a typical run costs
Factorio groups usually play a run start to finish, then take a break until the next big mod or expansion.
| Run | Typical length | Plan | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanilla launch with friends | 1 to 2 months | 2 GB | about 2.50 to 7.50 USD |
| Space Age run | 2 to 4 months | 4 GB | about 15 to 35 USD |
| Megabase or overhaul mod run | 3 months or more | 8 GB | about 50 USD for 3 months |
Each figure includes the half price first month for new customers.
Cost per engineer
On a GamezServers split bill, each person pays an even share plus a 1 USD fee per share:
| Plan | 2 players | 4 players | 8 players |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 GB (4.99) | about 3.50 each | about 2.25 each | about 1.62 each |
| 4 GB (9.99) | about 6.00 each | about 3.50 each | about 2.25 each |
| 8 GB (19.99) | about 11.00 each | about 6.00 each | about 3.50 each |
The free options
Host from the game
Factorio's Multiplayer > Host saved game runs a server inside your client. It is free, and fine if everyone plays together. The factory only runs while you are hosting, and friends connect on UDP port 34197, so you either forward that port or have friends join through Steam if everyone owns the Steam version.
Run the headless server
Factorio offers a free headless server for Linux from factorio.com. It runs without graphics on a spare machine or VPS:
./bin/x64/factorio --start-server mysave.zip --server-settings data/server-settings.json
You manage updates, mods and backups yourself. Our guides on server-settings.json and hosting a Factorio server for free cover it step by step.
Factorio's server is so light that a spare old PC really can run it for a small group. The trade offs are power, port forwarding and someone looking after it.
When paying is worth it
- Friends want to build when the host is offline.
- You want the factory to keep running between sessions, or at least to be ready when anyone logs in.
- Your group is spread across time zones.
- You want backups that do not depend on one PC.
If you all play together once a week, hosting from the game is genuinely enough.
Ways to spend less
- Start at 2 GB for vanilla and move up only when the save outgrows it.
- Do not buy a big plan for UPS. Optimise the factory instead: fewer inserters on belts, trains over long belts, beacons used sensibly.
- Prepay for the run. If you know the run will last about a month, a prepaid 30 day period means nothing renews afterwards.
- Split it with your crew.
A Factorio server on GamezServers
GamezServers Factorio servers come in 2, 4 and 8 GB, live in about a minute after paying, with their own address so nobody forwards ports. Upload your save with the file manager, set the game password and server settings from the control panel, add mods by file, and take one click backups before trying something risky. Split the bill with up to 10 friends, each paying their own share.
FAQ
How much does a Factorio server cost?
From 4.99 USD a month for vanilla on 2 GB, 9.99 USD for Space Age or a growing factory, and 19.99 USD for megabases or big mods.
Will a better server fix low UPS in Factorio?
Usually not. Every client simulates the whole factory, so the slowest player's PC sets the pace. Optimise the factory or reduce its size.
Is the Factorio headless server free?
Yes. The headless server for Linux is a free download from factorio.com.
How much RAM does a Factorio server need?
2 GB for vanilla with friends, 4 GB for Space Age, and 8 GB for megabases or overhaul mods.
Skip the setup. Your own Factorio server.
Then $4.99/mo. Just trying it? $1.25 for 3 days